


Horde Red

by BC_Casdiara



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Adora Remains with the Horde (She-Ra), Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/F, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:06:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23703583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BC_Casdiara/pseuds/BC_Casdiara
Summary: What if Adora stayed ?With She-ra in the hands of the Horde, the Rebellion has no hopes to turn the tide and win the war. No number of princesses can compete against the powerful duo of Adora, the She-ra of the Horde and Force Captain Catra.But with Shadow Weaver's manipulation all over Adora, maybe, just maybe, Catra can see enough reason to leave the Horde and take Adora with her, before her best friend and lover is lost to the powerful Horde warrior Hordak wants her to be.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 102





	1. The Sword

“Bow, catch!” The princess threw the sword to the archer. The boy caught it clumsily, holding it to his chest. 

“Give me the sword!” Adora ran after him, steps hitting the forest floor until a sudden weight forced her to stop. The princess grabbed her hair and yelled, sitting on top of her shoulders. The Force Captain grabbed her by the arm and sent her flying away with surprising strength. The princess hit the ground with a groan. 

Adora took a bolas from her belt and threw it at the archer. It wrapped around his legs, and the boy fell face first into the ground. 

“Stand down. I don’t wanna hurt you.” Adora’s words were honest. She just wanted to get the damned sword and go back to the Fright Zone. If she took too long, Catra might get in trouble for covering up for her. Shadow Weaver would be displeased if found out Adora had sneaked out. 

The princess appeared out of thin air in front of Adora, blocking the path to the sword. A ball of light was forming around her fist.  _ Magic. _

“Since when do Horde soldiers not want to hur- woah!” The angry princess fell to the ground again as an orange figure jumped on her. 

“Catra ?!” Adora’s eyes widened as she recognized her savior. 

Catra was wrestling with the princess, trying to keep her to the ground. With a bright light blast to the face, the princess pushed her attacker away, sending Catra stumbling into Adora’s arms.

“Hey, Adora.” The magicat had a smirk on her face as Adora caught her and helped her get up. The blonde smiled before they set their backs to each other. Her eyes were on the princess and Catra’s on Bow.

“Really, Adora ? I leave you for an hour and you’re almost captured by rebels ?”

“What ? I was doing an amazing job.”

“Pfft. I can see it.”

“Come on, Catra. We need to get the sword.”

The Horde soldiers took note of their surroundings, trying to come up with a way to defeat the rebel duo. The archer was up in his feet again, and the princess was looking furious, blocking the way to the sword. She had magic and could teleport, and the boy had a bow and arrows. Adora and Catra had a big disadvantage. 

In that moment, an idea click in Adora’s mind. She nudged Catra’s back with her elbow.

“Get the archer, I grab the sword.”

“What about Sparkles ?”

“I take care of her.” She said. Catra nodded.

In the blink of an eye, Catra had bounced atop of Bow. Adora made the run for the sword, dragging her hand into the ground. She threw the dirt into the princess’s face, blinding the princess for enough time to sweep her leg. However, the princess was faster and grabbed Adora’s leg. 

Her chin hit the floor, sending a spike of pain through her jaw. She extended her arm to grab the weapon, but the princess pulled her away from it. Adora kicked in the princess’ direction, hitting probably her head, and threw herself to the sword, trying to grab it before she could be pulled away again.

Her hand touched the handle.

And with a blast of light, the world went black.

* * *

Adora’s eyes opened up to the sight of the Fright Zone’s infirmary, with its green walls and bright lights. She could remember dreaming with a weird place, with purple walls and strange writing. She could remember a figure asking her if she would fight for the honor of Grayskull. If she would protect Etheria. 

“Adora ? You’re awake!” Catra rushed to Adora’s side and hugged her, her mane tickling Adora’s neck.

“Catra ? Wha- what happened ? We were in the Whispering Woods and-”

“And that annoying princess and her friend attacked you. You completely blacked out!” Catra added. “But don’t worry, whatever that weird flash of light was also knocked Sparkle out. I had to drag you AND the sword with me! Do you have any idea of how heavy you-”

A shiver ran down from Catra’s head to the end of her tail, every hair along the way standing up. Adora could also feel the sudden change of atmosphere in the room. Colder. Darker. Still, she felt a lot less tense than Catra, who was on flight or fight mode.

“Adora. I’m glad to see you’re awake.” Adora’s name rolled off Shadow Weaver’s tongue. The sorceress approached the Force Captain’s bed, bringing along her eerie aura. “And.. Catra. Adora and I need to talk… alone.”

Shadow Weaver’s words were full of disdain. Catra’s ear flattened against her head. Adora grabbed her wrist and gave her a questioning look. Catra hesitated, she wanted to tell Shadow Weaver she wouldn’t leave Adora right now, that whatever she had to tell, she could tell with her here.

“ _ Catra.” _

But Shadow Weaver’s voice was enough to make her change her mind. Catra shrugged to Adora, got up and left the room.

“Can you walk, Adora ?”

She really didn’t know. Her jaw was still sore, and she had been a bit dizzy when she woke up, but otherwise, she felt fine. Adora turned to the side and put her feet on the ground. She got up slowly, testing to see if everything was in place and well. She stood up without trouble.

“Yeah. I’m ok.”

“Good, now come on.” Shadow Weaver signaled for Adora to come with her. The blonde followed her closely. “I wasn’t very pleased when I found out you had snuck out during the night. The princesses are dangerous, imagine if you didn’t manage to fight off against the princess and that soldier ? The Rebellion would have a Horde Captain in their hands.”

“I-I’m sorry, Shadow Weaver.” Adora looked to the ground. She should’ve been afraid of Shadow Weaver knowing what happened, but all over her mind was the fact that Weaver said  _ she  _ had fought off against the rebels. Not her  _ and  _ Catra. Adora made a mental note to ask Catra about it later.

“I hope this wasn’t Catra’s influence.” Shadow Weaver looked at Adora.

“It was all my idea. Catra had no part on it.” 

“Hmpf.” She looked away. “You are set on a path of glory and brightness, Adora. Don’t let her drag you of it.”

Adora knew better than to try to defend Catra right now. It was better to stay quiet than to annoy Shadow Weaver by speaking her mind.

So that’s what she did. She stayed quiet, allowing silence to take over, as she followed Shadow Weaver through more and more corridors. They passed other soldiers, cadets, and even a Force Captain who pincers and a sharp tail, who waved at her excitedly. At least one of the Force Captains would like her, Adora thought. She waved back with a smile.

When Adora looked forward again, she noticed Shadow Weaver had come to a stop. They were both standing outside a huge door. Even if Adora had never entered the room, she and everybody else knew very well what was on the other side of it.

“Shadow Weaver…?”

“Lord Hordak wanted to speak to you personally. Behave.”

Adora immediately changed her posture. Her spine was straight and her face showed no hint of emotion. Shadow Weaver gave her an approving nod.

The door opened, and they stepped into the long hall. Lord Hordark was sitting on his throne, with Imp sitting on the armrest. Hordak’s eyes never left Shadow Weaver and Adora as they walked to him. As they halted near the throne, Adora saluted him. For the first time in her life, she was standing before the Lord of the Horde. She trained all her life to fight for him, to help him defend Etheria from the princesses’ threat.

“Lord Hordark.”

“Shadow Weaver,” his eyes settled on Adora. “I see you brought our newest Force Captain. Adora right ? I heard some interesting things about you. I trust in your ability to be a good Captain. Don’t disappoint me.”

“I won’t, Lord Hordak.”

“Good. Now, we have more important matters to discuss.” Hordak said. “Shadow Weaver told me that you recovered a First Ones’ artifact in the Whispering Woods.” 

He got up from his throne and extended his hand. Imp crawled from the armrest to the dark corner behind it. He came flying back with a sword two times his size and gave it to Hordak.

“There’s no doubt this sword is something more. But testing is required to better know its powers,” Hordak stepped closer to Adora, sword in hand. She tried to not show how nervous she was. Lord Hordak was a person to be feared. And he was standing close enough to kill her with the sword if he wanted to. However, he turned the hilt to Adora, and offered her the sword. “I want you to use it during the Thaymor siege. Find what it is capable of.”

Adora hesitated but took the sword. She held it with both hands, examining the patterns in the blade. 

“I’ll not disappoint, Lord Hordak.”

  
  



	2. The Sword - Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SW: Let me see what you have  
> Adora: A sword!  
> SW: NO!

It took some convincing for Shadow Weaver to let Adora take her squad. She vouched for them, saying she knew they were ready for it, that they worked better as a full team. Rogelio, Lonnie, and Kyle would be accompanying her on the battlefield, along with other soldiers. Most important, Catra would be there too. Shadow Weaver was less than pleased when Adora insisted on Catra to be part of her squad too. She felt Lord Hordak had a hand in deciding the four of them could be part of Thaymor’s siege, eager for Adora to test the sword and its full potential. 

Adora adjusted the straps of her armor. Her insignia of Force Captain was displayed proudly on her jacket. Her armor was light, just some protection on her arms and legs, a thin yet sturdy plate under her jacket to protect her chest. And the sword strapped to her back. It felt weird, going into battle with a sword while her squad carried guns. Except for Catra, who refused to touch a gun and used only her claws. Adora had seen her do enough damage with them to trust her.

“Your first time in battle and you’re already leading your own squad, huh.” Adora turned to the direction of the sound.

“Catra.” she said with a smile.

“Hey, Adora.” Catra leaned against the doorframe.

“Is everyone ready ?”

“Sure. Waiting for your order to go.” Catra stepped closer to Adora, shoulder brushing with her’s, her tail catching Adora’s wrist. “But you know what is better about this ?”

Adora tried to hide the blush that spread over her cheeks at the sight of Catra’s smile and her tail holding her wrist. 

“W-what ?”

“We,” Catra used her tail to pull Adora closer, their faces inches away. “get to ride a skiff!”

* * *

Adora and Catra rode a skiff together, leading the troops. Tanks followed them, along with soldiers on foot and robots. The sound of marching and motors filled the air. They passed trees and more trees, making their path through the Whispering Woods. If Adora’s memory was right, it wouldn’t take much longer until they reached Thaymor. The full force of their squad would put the fortress down in a question of minutes. Another victory over the rebels and the princesses. Adora tightened her grip in the skiff’s controller, putting enough force for the knuckles to get white. Everything had to go well. This was the first time she, Catra, Loonie, Rogelio, and Kyle would be on the field. Their success depended on her ability to command. 

Catra couldn’t help but notice how tense Adora was. Her eyes were set straight in the path ahead, not daring to blink. She moved her hand across the skiff’s control rod, and set it atop Adora’s. The soft touch brought Adora out of her thoughts. Catra rubbed Adora’s hand with her thumb, a reassuring smile on her face. 

“Come on,” Catra said. “Hordak himself thought you would be a good Force Captain. He gave you the fancy sword. This mission will go so well, that Shadow Weaver won’t be able to say anything bad about it.”

A weight Adora hadn’t noticed before was lifted from her shoulders. With Catra here to help, she felt like things might be easier.

“Thanks.” Adora turned palm upwards and intertwined their fingers. Catra squeezed her hand.

For a few minutes, they stayed like this, looking at each other with soft smiles on their face. The sound of tanks, marching and the skiff motors became background noise. 

Houses and small buildings grew on the horizon, along with cheerful music. Adora let got of Catra’s hands without breaking eye contact.

“Is this… right ? That doesn’t look like a fortress.” Catra frowned, pointing with her head to Thaymor.

“Hordak wouldn’t give us wrong directions. There’s probably more to it than we can see.” Adora said. There was no way Hordak would send them to attack a simple civilian village. They must be harboring someone important to the Rebellion, or worse, serving as a base of operations close to the Fright Zone. They couldn’t have the benefit of doubt when dealing with rebels. Adora’s eyes met Catra’s one last time, receiving a nod from Catra, before turning to look at the squad following them.

“We are approaching Thaymor! Be prepared for anything and don’t open fire until I give the signal.”

Time slowed down. 

The music grew louder. The sound of marching and motors muffled by it. Adora felt a rush of adrenaline flow through her system. 

They were getting closer.

And closer.

Just wait a bit more and…

“Open fire!” Adora yelled, her voice managing surpass the sound of everything around her.

The cheerful music came to a sudden stop. The robots rolled into the village, along with the tanks. Screams filled the air. Pillars of smoke raised from destroyed buildings, the smell of burnt was everywhere. 

The citizens of Thaymor fled as robots walked over houses and tanks passed over everything in their path. Catra and Adora watched from their skiff. They had no reason to join the battle directly, as everything was going well. Until a ball of sparkling magic hit Adora’s side, sending her flying. Her back hit a destroyed wall, forcing all air out of her lungs, and a blunt pain traveled her skull as her head too met the wall. Adora coughed, her vision blurry. 

“Adora!” Catra’s scream was distant. Adora lifted her head in time to see an arrow being shot at Catra’s back. It’s point opened and a net flew out of it, trapping Catra. She fell to the floor, struggling against her restraints, trying to break free.

“Stop struggling, Horde scum.” The voice was familiar to Adora’s ears. 

“Catra…” Adora tried to call her out, but her voice was too weak. Through the blur, she could see two figures walking towards Catra. The princess and the rebel archer from earlier. 

They were going to take her.

“Come on, Bow. Help me move her.”

“Get your hands off me, Sparkles!” Catra hissed, trying to shove the princess away with her feet. 

Adora had to be fast. The princess had powers, she knew she could teleport. If she was a second too late, Catra would be taken. Her ribcage and head hurt, making it hard to get up. Adora took the sword off the sheath and used it to prop herself up. Time was running out and she was still half bent over, clutching her side.

She remembered something from that weird dream when she touched the sword. The purple figure talking about protecting Etheria. About fighting for the honor of Grayskull.

An idea clicked on Adora’s mind.

She lifted the sword over her head.

“For the honor of Grayskull!” 

* * *

Catra looked away from Sparkles and Arrow Boy in time to see light engulf Adora. She stared with wide eyes as the light dissipated, reveling a 6ft tall figure. Adora’s blue eyes were visibly lighter, her ponytail came undone, giving place to long flowy hair. There was so much white and gold. Her shirt, her shorts, her boots. So unlike any Horde uniform. 

She-ra charged with the sword in hand.

* * *

“We can’t let Adora just have the sword.” Shadow Weaver said. “If that sword is what I think it is, you’ll be giving her way too much power!”

“And what, may I ask, do you think the sword is ?” Hordak didn’t as much as looked over his shoulder as the two discussed. He was too occupied, bent over blueprints of his armor. 

“The sword is tied to a legendary hero know as She-ra. Stories say that she would come back to protect the people of Etheria.” 

“What makes you think Adora would use those supposed newfound powers against us ? She is part of the Horde. Her performance as a cadet was nothing but impressive.”

“Hordak, if by any means she decides to change her mind, this would be a huge probl-”

“Lord Hordak.” Shadow Weaver and Hordak, both caught in surprise by the sudden arrival, turned to look back at the entrance of the Sanctum. Adora held the sword with both hands and knelt. The She-ra transformation hadn’t worn out yet. Shadow Weaver’s eyes widened as Hordak approached Adora. “As She-ra, I swear to use my powers to help protect Etheria.”

Hordak stopped walking, his body tensing.

“I swear to protect Etheria from the threat of the princesses.”

The tension dissipated. Hordak smiled. From what Shadow Weaver just told him, Etheria’s most powerful warrior was now kneeling before him, swearing loyalty to the Horde.

“Very well.” He said. “Force Captain Adora, you just earned a promotion."  
  
  
  
"You’re now She-ra of the Horde.”


End file.
